St Edmundsbury Core Strategy (December 2010)

Key Service and Local Service Centres and Rural Areas4.120 The primary function of the Key Service and Local Service Centres is toensure they continue to provide services and shops which meet the everydayneeds of their populations and neighbouring smaller villages. The individualcharacteristics of these settlements are set out later in this document.4.121 It is important that economic development in rural areas is strictlycontrolled. The countryside should be protected with most new development inrural areas located in or on the edge of those existing settlements identified asKey Service and Local Service Centres.2007 Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill Retail, Leisure and Offices Study4.122 In 2007 Donaldsons undertook a Retail, Leisure and Offices Study for BurySt Edmunds and Haverhill to help inform the Local Development Framework. Thestudy identified some key areas in relation to the need for future retail, leisure andoffice floor space in the towns up to 2021;Bury St EdmundsThe opening of the 'arc' in spring 2009, on the former Cattlemarket site inBury St Edmunds, will fulfil the need for comparison goods floor space until2021 and address a weakness in terms of a lack of large modern shops. Anyproposals after this date would need to be subject to a detailed retailassessment.There is a qualitative and quantitative need for two new discount food storesin Bury St Edmunds.There is some forecast need for additional warehouse floor space in Bury StEdmunds which increases significantly towards 2021. This would need to belocated in accordance with the sequential approach.There is currently no identified need for any additional commercial leisuresites in the town, although if operator demand is forthcoming, somecommercial leisure facilities, such as branded restaurants, could be includedin mixed use schemes in the town centre.There is no need to identify and allocate sites for new office sites and newsites should be considered on their merits in accordance with guidance inPPS6.HaverhillThe need for convenience goods stores will, in the short term, be met by theexisting provision and the new Tesco store (opened September 2009).There would be sufficient expenditure from 2011 to support additionalcomparison goods floor space in the town.The principal need in Haverhill is to introduce a greater range of shops andservices and to encourage a greater concentration of retail uses in the towncentre.61